My Trip on the 2-line (in 2 parts)

Interesting things happen in the subway. Today's ride back from Brooklyn to my apartment was especially interesting.  Here it is.

Part I

My friend and I jump in and scramble for seats - luckily we find two open just by the door. Just before the doors close, a tall, wide man stands up and announces "HI EVERYBODY, I AM SORRY TO DISTURB YOU.  MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE? MY NAME IS JAMES" James is black "I AM HOMELESS AND HUNGRY.  I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE PLEASE.  NICKELS, DIMES, QUARTERS, ANYTHING AT ALL." 

There are two old white ladies sitting across from me.  They must be in their 80s.  One reaches for her handbag, pulls out a zip-lock bag with some crackers in it, unzips it and hands James 2 crackers.  

"No thank you ma'am. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ASSISTANCE PLEASE."  He starts walking from our end of the car to the other side slowly. 

"What?  You're not hungry?" she says replacing the crackers.

"I am hungry, but I can't accept that, please don't be offended.  ANY ASSISTANCE AT ALL ...."

"aah, he wants money" they other lady says. eye-roll.

"Its nothing personal ma'am, I wouldn't accept that from anyone... and I wouldn't mind at all if someone refused to take food from me. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN PLEASE....."

Taken aback, the two ladies begin to talk quietly and emphatically with each other. James, now on the other side of the car, attempts to resolve the conflict.

"PLEASE DON'T BE OFFENDED MA'AM, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU.  ITS JUST THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF GERMS AND BACTERIA AROUND.... MONEY IS JUST MORE.... CONVENIENT."

My eyes are darting between the man and the ladies. I stare at the lady for a split second unintentionally -  trying to make sense of things, and trying not to burst out laughing. I guess she interprets this as judgement so she starts explaining gently to me and another lady sitting to her right (we two are the closest blacks). 

"I used to eat out of the garbage.  This food is good.  He said he's hungry... In Europe during the second world war, I would look through garbage and eat." I nod my head, taking her side without saying anything - unnecessary white guilt makes me feel guilty too. I want to say, "Ma'am, I think you're in the right here" but James is much bigger than I am, and much louder so I keep quiet. James passes through to the next subway car. Everything returns to normal for a bit.

Part II

The train stops, a few people come in and fewer leave.  I make the slightest eye contact with a man who has just come in as he sits down across from me to my left. The two ladies from earlier are still seated directly across from me. To their right, the black lady and to her right the man who has just walked in.

He nods his head to say hello, and I do the same naively. Then it starts.

"How are you?  My name is Peter" - he reaches out with his right hand.

"I am Keletso" - We shake hands.

"You know, Kaletu, god is good..."

 

I nod my head in a very final way and give an "Mmhmm"  - I try to pre-occupy myself with my bag.

"... yes he is. God is good. How old are you?"

"I am 23."

"You are young ...."

"Yes. I am young."

"Kaletu I am desperate, and nobody can help me.  I am hungry, and poor.... I am a gay man... a black, gay man.  I follow god, with all my heart.  Even when he told me to go to the village.  Are you a gay man?"

"Yes, I am gay."

"Do you know about the HIV?"

I nod my head.

"I am HIV positive, and I am hungry.  I was 26 when I went to the village, just 26....... there was a man..... he was much older than me....."

He starts to speak softer, and the train seems to get louder.  I strain to make out what he is saying, but stop myself from asking him to repeat anything. It is a long train ride, and I decide to hear him out. It would be unkind to ignore him - its not like I have anything else to do, so I listen.  I decide that this will be my second mitzvah for the day.  

He explains his troubles at length. Eventually it comes to "I just need someone to help me, I need a partner to help me turn my life around.  Can you help me?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't"

He leans forward and asks me to repeat.

"I can't" I shake my head slightly.

"I was telling my story to a lady the other day... and a man overheard me.  I didn't even know him, but he reached into his pocket, gave me 3 dollars.  It was all he had.  He was very kind."

The black lady across from me suddenly pipes up and turns to her left.  "Where are those crackers?  Give him the crackers."

"Are you hungry?" the lady with the crackers demands.

"Yes, but.."

"Here"  She hands the entire ziplock bag accross to him.

"Thank you, but I would really like some money."

"Why do you want money?  Aren't you hungry?" the other white lady asks.

"Well, I want to be able to buy what I want...  what I need... "

He tries to reword his answer a few times unconvincingly, opens the bag, grabs a cracker, and starts eating it gingerly. Quietly.

There is a bustle at the next stop as more people come in. 

The man, and the two ladies must have alighted then.